What is happening in Sudan?

Nearly 25 million people in Sudan are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Last updated 1 July 2024

One year on from when fighting first broke out in Sudan and day to day life for millions remains unbearable.

The conflict began in April 2023 in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

It’s reported that more than 14,700 people have been killed in the conflict so far and over half the population are in need of urgent humanitarian support.

People need access to safe shelter, healthcare services, food and water. The intensity of the conflict has only been rising in recent weeks, meaning more hunger, fatalities and people having to flee.

The lack of safe and unhindered access for humanitarian organisations to reach conflict-affected areas poses a significant barrier to delivering aid to those in dire need.

Around 70% of the population of the country rely on agriculture and livestock for survival, but access to land in many areas is compromised due to the conflict. This has created a catastrophic food crisis. Almost 18 million people are not getting enough food. The UN’s World Food Programme says Sudan risks becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis as a direct consequence of the conflict if fighting does not stop.

Sudanese refugees are arriving en masse in countries already extremely vulnerable. It is estimated 1.8 million people have fled the country since last year. Prior to the conflict, Sudan hosted many refugees from surrounding countries who now also have nowhere to turn.

• The Sudan conflict: a year of hunger, missing families and heartache

How to help people in Sudan

The Sudanese Red Crescent and ICRC have been responding to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, delivering vital aid and supporting evacuations. Please donate to our Emergencies Fund which helps us respond to global crises like the current situation in Sudan.

DONATE TO OUR EMERGENCIES FUND

How the Red Cross Red Crescent is helping in Sudan

In Khartoum, the Sudanese Red Crescent is leading the humanitarian and relief response.

With 8,800 dedicated volunteers in 18 branches around the country, the Sudanese Red Crescent is the largest humanitarian organisation on the ground.

Since fighting escalated, the Sudanese Red Crescent has been providing first aid and urgent medical care, along with emergency supplies like food, water, and hygiene products, and psychosocial support.

Alongside this support, the ICRC has helped to evacuate 300 children and 72 staff from orphanages in Khartoum, as well as facilitating the release of 254 detainees, helping to reunite them with their families.

Without the support of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, the people of Sudan will suffer grave humanitarian impacts.

"They will simply not be able to meet their basic needs." said the Sudanese Red Crescent's secretary-general Aida Elsayed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the Ministry of Health in Khartoum to support hospitals treating those injured in the clashes.

The WHO has warned that hospitals receiving patients in Khartoum have run out of blood, transfusion equipment, and other vital supplies. 

• Find out more about our work in Sudan

British Red Cross support for people from Sudan

British Red Cross volunteers and staff supported people who arrived in the UK from Sudan. Emergency response volunteers were deployed to Stansted Airport to help people who were evacuated from the country following the outbreak of conflict. 

• Get advice and support if you've been evacuated from Sudan
• Read the British Red Cross's statement on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan

The ICRC has been present in Sudan since 1978, supporting people affected by conflict in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Today, teams from the ICRC support hospitals and health facilities with equipment and supplies, improving access to clean water, and providing displaced people in conflict-affected areas with emergency assistance.

The British Red Cross has had an ongoing programme partnership with the Sudanese Red Crescent and the Danish Red Cross in Sudan since 2018. The aim of the partnership is to support the most vulnerable women and girls at entry points and refugee camps in the country.

We are keeping close contact with our colleagues at the Sudanese Red Crescent and the Danish Red Cross, to monitor and assess the situation as it unfolds.